Fired Tenn. Chief Of Staff Ordered To House Arrest In Md. Amid Child Porn Allegations
SYKESVILLE, Md. (WJZ)—Ryan Loskarn went from the heights of Capitol Hill power to house arrest in Carroll County. That's where a judge sent him Monday after federal investigators say they found disturbing child porn images and videos on his computer.
Mike Hellgren has the latest.
U.S. postal investigators arrested Ryan Loskarn at his home in Washington, D.C. and described finding lurid, graphic images of child pornography on computers they seized--including those depicting the rape of a 6-year-old.
It's a shock among Washington elite: Loskarn was well-respected on Capitol Hill. The Washington Post said he was "lauded for his influence and access to key [political] players."
"Once child pornography images are posted on the Internet, they can continue to circulate forever. The child is re-victimized as images are viewed again and again," said Gerald O'Farrell, U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Despite objections of federal prosecutors, a judge released Loskarn on bail to his parents' home in Sykesville, where conditions include that he stay inside the home under electronic monitoring and have no Internet access.
Loskarn's parents assured the judge that all of their devices were password protected, and they had no home computer in Carroll County. They put their arms around their son in court.
It's a steep fall from grace: Loskarn graduated from South Carroll High School in 1996 and crafted communications for Senate Republicans before being named chief of staff for Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander.
The massive investigation leading to Loskarn's arrest has roots in Canada and has netted arrests around the world, including of teachers, doctors and clergy.
Authorities tracked their computers, finding enough digital images that if stacked on paper would be more than 6,000 times as tall as downtown Baltimore's World Trade Center.
"International cooperation is the most effective way to identify, track and combat those who sexually exploit children, who operate without regards to border. In fact, it's essential if we want to stop these crimes," O'Farrell said.
Senator Alexander said that while the court will determine Loskarn's guilt or innocence, the allegations are repugnant and has fired Loskarn from his nearly $170,000 a year job.
Federal prosecutors say Loskarn is a flight and suicide risk but his defense lawyers say his family is prepared to constantly supervise him. He faces 20 years in prison.
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